Opinion/Advice on turnaround time for binding booklets

[Minuteman Press]

We are a large color digital printer and we print many booklets that need saddle stitching (most of them bleed). Right now we have two part timers that I pay minimum wage and they literally sit there most of the day putting pre collated booklets through by hand on our small duplo 120 booklet maker (its on the verge of going).

I know it sounds odd but I am going to purchase a new booklet maker but I am not sure if I should purchase two towers with it. I do not have a full color press for larger print runs. 95% of my saddle stitched booklets are 750 quantities and below. I feel like investing $45,000 (estimating) on two towers may be a waste of money for me. My question is.. how long do you think it will take to SETUP and bind a 52 page booklet, 250 and 750 quantities through both of your towers on your duplo and or standard horizon? I am sure it will be faster than putting in a pre collated set by hand but I am not sure if the math will workout in my favor when I hire part timers at minimum wage putting in small quantities by hand. Its not like I am doing 2,000 or 5,000 or 10,000 run saddle stitch booklets.

 

[Josh]

Haven't got an answer to your question, but if you're just feeding digital jobs have you looked at a Duplo Digital Sheet Feeder? It feeds pre-collated sheets.

 

[Minuteman Press]

Yes. We actually have the duplo sheet by sheet feeder (dsf2000) and it's a nightmare. I know that new models are out but we are afraid to be in the same position again. My guys would rather put it in by hand.

 

[Captain Kirk]

I have been running Standard Horizon collators for 20 years. Current model is a Vac 100 with two towers and a face trimmer. That book would take about 30 minutes to complete....from set up to finish. If you're running the same size books frequently, you just program the collator and all the job settings (jog, staple, fold, trim) are a 1 button set up.

 

[arossetti]

Standard also makes a digital auto feeder (HOF20) which would blow the socks off of the duplo dsf2000.

 

[Minuteman Press]

Captin Kirk, are you offset only? Do you fight digital prints in your standard horizon?

Arossetti, I thought of getting a really good sheet by sheet feeder with standard horizon or duplo but I would imagine two towers would run circles around a sheet by sheet feeder for books over 32 pages because a sheet by sheet feeder is pulling that many more sheets rather than 1 pass through two towers. I just worry that the towers won't separate and pull digital prints as well as the good sheet by sheet feeders

 

[Captain Kirk]

We are offset as well as Digital, probably 50/50. The only issue we have had with pulling digital copies is curl. If the operators...big IF....pay attention to this, knowing it will be running through a folder or the Horizon, it's no problem. I would say curl is the only issue. We run everything from NCR to chipboard through the Horizon.

 

[pdan]

We're similair to Captain Kirk - 50/50 on imaging.
I had no reservations obligating several jobs off our Horizon for the typical friday deadline; it's commencement week.
If you can run digital with minimal curl the blowers on a Speed Vac will definately seperate the sheets. On those occasions where there is curl, rotate the paper 180 or wedge some chipboard below the pile - everybody knows the value of chipboard right?
FWIW, you'll operate a tower machine with one operator.

 

[Captain Kirk]

Pdan - Isn't Commencement week great for the stress level? Reprint 3,000 today for commencement......TONIGHT!

 

[pdan]

Oh gee I hope that's all black clicks - off the press is gonna make for one messy collater, vs color digital is gonna cost a fortune.
Commencment week = Stress? You got it. It's amazing how unprofessional school systems/employees operate.

 

[Captain Kirk]

Actually we ARE the districts Reprographics Dept (no offense taken) We've got 6 High Schools with an average run of 2,500. We have 1 week to print (yes, offset) and finish all the programs - 2 - 11x17 b/b saddle stitched. The cover is in school colors (up to 2) and inside page single color. We usually have a name change etc at the last minute, but this year has been a fiasco.

 

[Minuteman Press]

I guess this could be a vague question... What are your typical amount of breakdown or bills on your standard horizons? I spent probably $5,000 last year on general repairs and cleaning on my older duplo 120.

 

[arossetti]

I guess this could be a vague question... What are your typical amount of breakdown or bills on your standard horizons? I spent probably $5,000 last year on general repairs and cleaning on my older duplo 120.

Not sure who this was directed to, but last year for our Horizon SPF-11 I spent $1,500. In 2011 we spent about $1,000. This year I had to buy a new fold roller which was about $1,500, so I expect to be around $3,000 by December.

 

[CSimpson]

Yes. We actually have the duplo sheet by sheet feeder (dsf2000) and it's a nightmare. I know that new models are out but we are afraid to be in the same position again. My guys would rather put it in by hand.

I have the DSF-5000...I have done about 5 million books in the last 4 years. The feeder works well, better than the booklet maker itself.